FTTC Minimum 12 Month Charges

[Independent]

With Fibre being promised this year (believe it when I see it) I am looking to upgrade, having been with Idnet forever (well seems like it) my first port of call seemed obvious until I read the SMALL PRINT.

Idnet FTTC
Existing phone line and migrations from ADSL there is an activation charge of £80 excluding VAT. No modem supplied
BT
Free connection on present offers (£35 on others) plus "free" modem.

Idnet FTTC
Fibre connections are subject to a 1 year contract. If you cancel the service, MOVE HOUSE or your phone line is stopped for ANY reason     you will be liable for the remaining months of the 12 month contract. Early termination charges will also apply.

BT FTTC
12 month contract with no charges for Moving House or cancellation, charge of £55 for supplied modem.

Idnet and BT comparable on monthly fees although not on service.

I may move house in six months, a No59 bus may have my name on it, flood, fire and hell may ascend, at present the choice seems fairly obvious.

Regards to all

[Steve]

Perhaps it's not clear to me but BT will charge for early contract termination and a cease charge will be applied under certain conditions so I think in that respect there's not a lot of difference.

[nowster]

The devil is usually in the small print. Be sure to keep copies of any contract you sign with BT.

It might be that BT Retail is prepared to absorb some of these charges that are made by BT Wholesale.

[Independent]

My Earlier post quoted "BT Present Offers", as an example, many ISP's have varying charges for connection or disconnection. Most ISP offers are frequent, varied, good and bad, all small print should be read including IDnet's.

Idnet offer a superior service at a price, it is up to the individual to decide, however paying for something you don't receive is not what I would agree with.

Take FTTC with Idnet and tie into a minimum 12 months contract, move house in 6 months you still pay remaining 6 months.
New owner takes FTTC with IDnet pay's another £80 fee, ties into 12 month contract and pays for the same first 6 months.

The Winner!!!!!   Idnet receive 2 x monthly payments for the same line for 6 months. Why??

The £80 fee covers BT fitting and refitting of equipment, the monthly fee covers usage, only one owner at a time uses it.

[Glenn]

Plusnet allow you to move FTTC line between house moves with not disconnection penalty, there may however be a connection cost.

[nowster]

Plusnet allow you to move FTTC line between house moves with not disconnection penalty, there may however be a connection cost.

Plusnet is BT.

[Simon_idnet]

Take FTTC with Idnet and tie into a minimum 12 months contract, move house in 6 months you still pay remaining 6 months.
New owner takes FTTC with IDnet pay's another £80 fee, ties into 12 month contract and pays for the same first 6 months.

The Winner!!!!!   Idnet receive 2 x monthly payments for the same line for 6 months. Why??

Sadly, not so. If you order FTTC from us, BT Wholesale charge IDNet £80 to activate it. If you move after six months BTw charge IDNet for the remaining 6 months.

If new house owner then orders FTTC from IDNet, BTw charge us the £80 activation fee again and a new 12 month minimum term starts.

BT Openreach are the winners!

We pass-on the £80 activation fee at cost price. Ofcom says that BT Wholesale must charge BT Retail on the same terms that it charges all ISPs. So, BT Retail must be absorbing the activation charge and given that they often bundle-in x number of free months and x minutes of free calls etc etc then certainly they are selling below cost. Surely there is some cross-subsiding going on within the BT Group ...

Either that or they are over-subscribing their network in order to squeeze-on as many punters as possible.

[nowster]

I've always thought that the Chinese walls between BT Group divisions were extremely porous. I once caught them out and it made The Register.